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Inspired by the Mayan traditions of his youth, Jorge Dugal re-interprets his grandmother’s recipe for chirmol, a fire-roasted tomato and chili based salsa, that finds a modern home at one of Los Angeles’s most revered restaurants, Providence.

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Inspired by the Mayan traditions of his youth, Jorge Dugal re-interprets his grandmother’s recipe for chirmol, a fire-roasted tomato and chili based salsa, that finds a modern home at one of Los Angeles’s most revered restaurants, Providence.

The rising Filipino food movement in Los Angeles is rooted in a new generation of young and talented chefs, who each share a story about going against the grain, preserving their culture, and honoring Filipino traditions with their food.

In sharing their stories, Celestino Lopez, owner of Chiles Secos, and Enrique Peralta, a L.A. street vendor, reveal a common element of immigrant experiences, the ongoing struggle to make it in the land of opportunity.

For Chefs Debbie Michail and Wafa Ghreir, food is a way to link back to their Middle-Eastern culture. To have the opportunity to enjoy their meals is to gain an understanding of Middle-Eastern traditions.

For 22 years, loyal diners have been flocking to the beloved Jun Won in Koreatown where Owner Yong Won Jun brings much more than just Korean BBQ to his hungry customers. In the midst of success, however, the Jun family is faced with a grueling challenge.

Clips & Segments

Watch a preview of The Migrant Kitchen, our Emmy®-winning food series that explores Los Angeles’ booming food scene through the eyes of a new generation of chefs whose cuisine is inspired by the immigrant experience. A new season premieres November 8.

To Chef Michail, it only made sense to cook a whole beast over an open flame when starting her newest venture, Logmeh L.A. It's a way to connect to her Middle Eastern heritage, eat the way her grandmother taught her, and bring people together.

For Debbie Michail and Wafa Ghreir, food is a way to link back to their Middle-Eastern culture while gifting a piece of their traditions to their communities. To have the opportunity to enjoy their meals is to get an understanding of their legacies.

While migrants from all over the world have been essential to L.A.’s food industry, they have remained largely behind the scenes. It is these immigrants who are re-shaping L.A.’s culinary landscape by infusing global traditions into modern dishes.

Badmaash has become a gathering place for the business community, police officers, artists and food adventurers. Alongside the traditional dishes, their playful approach to Indian food and culture seems to have struck a chord among patrons.

When celebrated food critic Jonathan Gold first came across Chef Roberto Berrelleza’s now-shuttered La Moderna in 1992, he wrote, “La Moderna's food, prepared by a true restaurant maniac, is among the best Mexican food in Los Angeles.”

Tamales are an ancient dish has seen many iterations over the centuries, finding itself stuffed with various kinds of meats, cheeses or vegetables. But arguably, the tamal has found its most exciting expression in Chef Ray Garcia's version.

Upcoming Airdates

Season 2, Episode 3

Charles Namba and Courtney Kaplan, the couple behind Echo Park's Tsubaki, have always loved the culture of izakaya but found Los Angeles lacking in these Japanese taverns. Sonoko Sakai is a teacher with a passion for buckwheat and the near-sacred art of soba noodles, and Seiichi Yokota knows how to prepare and preserve fresh fish with a traditional Japanese technique never seen before in Los Angeles. Each aims to introduce Angelenos to the unique spirit of Japanese hospitality and the culture's deep culinary customs.

Season 2, Episode 4

Banh Mi. Spring rolls. Pho. The war and its subsequent refugees. These are things most commonly associated with the Vietnamese culture and its people. But a group of chefs in Los Angeles (including Cassia’s Bryant Ng and Diep Tran of Good Girl Dinette) are hoping to demonstrate that there’s so much more than that. Featured in the episode: Cassia in Santa Monica, Good Girl Dinette in Highland Park, Red Boat Fish Sauce, and Minh Phan of Porridge & Puffs.

Season 2, Episode 1

A collective of culturally connected, distinguished chefs (including Ray Garcia of Broken Spanish, Wes Avila of Guerilla Tacos, Carlos Salgado of Taco Maria, as well as Jorge Gaviria of corn purveyor, Masienda) work to preserve heritage and push forward the “Alta California” Mexican food movement. By celebrating those dishes and ingredients integral to Mexico's cuisine and its economy, a group of accomplished Mexican-American chefs are working to elevate not only the food, but what people of their heritage can achieve in the food business.

Frank Lloyd Wright accelerated the search for L.A.'s authentic architecture. This episode explores the provocative theory that his early homes in L.A. were also a means of artistic catharsis for Wright.